I know this is going to sound like really old news and it is but since the blog has been sleeping since last year there is quite a bit to update you on. I thought I would start with one of the happiest news I have to share with you – Simon and I are engaged!

Simon popped the question to me on December 7th last year. Out of the blue, in the garden of our new home, IN SWEDISH (lots of brownie points there) with a stunning Scandinavian designed ring he chose himself without as much as a subtle hint from me. I cried, smiled and said YES (of course)!

We had tickets to go to A Day on the Green at the Rochford Wines in Yarra Valley that they so we celebrated with some nice wine in the company of Alicia Keys and John Legend. A truly amazing and memorable day! The wedding date is set and we’re getting married in March next year, in Adelaide. I can’t wait!

I’ve made a decision. It’s time for a change. I need to re-find my work/life balance and focus more on me. Do things I enjoy and stress less about work. Focus on finding my happiness again because I have so many things to be happy and greatful for.

The last 8 months have been crazy. I’ve been spending way too much time at work trying to cope, prove myself being understaffed. And what do I get in return? Nothing! Nothing more than I would if I worked 8 hours a day like normal people. I’m over feeling like I bend over backwards and still never feel like I’m doing enough. I’m over not being appreciated or paid enough for the work I put in. I’m over not enjoying going to work. I’m over feeling like all I do is work, eat, sleep and complain about the fact that allI I do is just work, eat and sleep. There is so much more to life than that.

I have a wonderful fiancé that I’m marrying in March next year which means I have a wedding to plan. I have a beautiful family and friends I want to spend more time with (IRL and on Skype). We have a house which is in need of a lot of TLC and we have big reno plans. I want to get in touch with my creative side again and have time for my photography and DIY projects.

I realize things will probably not change overnight but I will try my best to make them. I want happy Anna back. Tired and grumpy Anna I can live without. Life is too short to be wasted.

It’s finally here, December 13th! A very special day, not only do I step on board my flight this afternoon and head to Sweden, today is also the day when Swedes around the world celebrate Lucia, a tradition that might seem weird to most non-Swedish people but makes perfect sense to all Swedes. You can get a crash course on what it’s all about below. 🙂 It’s also Friday today, don’t ask me why I chose to travel on this day. Lucky I’m not superstitious. See you on the other side folks. Sweden here I come!

Every Australian is well familiar with what a showbag is. For me it was something new and unfamiliar, until the other day when Simon and I went to the Royal Melbourne Show that is. Speaking of unfamiliar just to clarify things, an Australian show is the same thing as a fair or a carnival. Yes, they do like to be different these Aussies. The Royal Melbourne Show for those of you who don’t now it is an agricultural show held at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds every September. The show has been running since 1848 and it has around half a million visitors each year and offers a mix of animals, livestock, rides and food experiences.

But back to the showbags. A showbag is commercial plastic bag filled with treats and fun. There was a Showbag Pavillion at the Royal Show here in Melbourne filled with heaps and heaps of showbags (387 to be exact), something for every age, taste and budget. The showbags are basically sample bags and was originally given out for free to promote brand awareness. They are not free any more of course but you can find bags for as little as $2 and at the Show here in Melbourne about 65% of the bags cost under $20.

So happy the weekend is here after a rather shitty week. It started off on Monday morning with one of my team members handing in her resignation at work. I didn’t see that one coming and with only three weeks notice period it put me in a bit of a sticky position. I need a replacement person quickly and clearly there will be no time for her to train someone new before she’s gone.

Initially I was pretty upset since she was a person I decided to keep when we had the redundancy a few months back and I had to get rid off one person in my team. I kept her because I believed in her future in the company. I now have a bit more perspective on the situation and I’m trying to be positive about the change. Hopefully something good will come out of it in the end.

I’m having a crash course in management this year that’s for sure with my first redundancy and now my first recruitment process. A steep learning curve indeed.

It was announced last week that Swedish fashion giant H&M finally will open its first Australian store. Even better is that it won’t be in Sydney, it will be in Melbourne! After all we’re are the Australian fashion capital so it’s only fair. 😉 5,000 sqm of Swedish goodness over three levels will open in the former post office building, GPO, on Bourke St, probably mid next year.

H&M, also known as Hennes & Mauritz is known as the second largest global retailer. Similar to Zara and Top Shop is known for its fast fashion clothing for men, women, teenagers and children. The first store opened in Västerås in Sweden back in 1947 but since then it has gone global and now has approx. 2,900 stores in 51 markets around the world.

about the blog

A Swede and an Australian blogging together gives you a Swaussie blog.

We met in Australia 2009 and we choose to share our life and adventures with you in this blog. We had a long distance relationship between Sweden & Australia for 10 months. Between August 2010 and July 2012 we lived together in Sweden and are now happily married back living in Melbourne.

In the blog we mix blog posts in English and Swedish, share with you what it's like to move and live in another country than your home country, the culture shocks we experience, the differences we encounter between Sweden and Australia and much, much more.

Feel free to leave a comment to let us know you were here and don't hesitate to ask us questions about Australia and/or Sweden!